Tips for Machine Appliqué

Regardless of how you prepare your pieces for machine appliqué, learning how to stabilize and stitch your pieces is key. Follow these tips for great appliqué and check out troubleshooting tips at the end of this slide show.

What’s the secret to smooth appliqué pieces? Using stabilizer! Place stabilizer beneath the foundation fabric before you being appliquéing. This will prevent unsightly puckers that pull at the foundation. Stabilizer is used beneath appliqué foundations to add support and eliminate puckers and pulling on fabric as you machine-appliqué. Several stabilizer types are available—cut-away, tear-away, and wash away.

Experiment with a variety of types to determine which works best for you and your project.

Pivoting evenly around curves takes practice. Let these steps and tips guide you to making improved pivots.

The position of your needle is critical when pivoting fabric to round a curve or turn a point or corner. Use the following illustrations to guide you in knowing when to pivot.

In each case, you will need to place your needle down in the fabric before pivoting. In each illustration the arrows indicate stitching direction, and the dots mark where the needle should be down for pivoting.

TIP: Mark edges of circular or oval appliqué pieces with the hours of a clock. Pivot the fabric at each hour.

Stop at the first pivot point with the needle down in the fabric on the left-hand swing of the needle. Raise the presser foot, pivot the fabric slightly, and being stitching to the next pivot point. Repeat as needed to complete the entire curve.

Stop at the first pivot point with the needle down in the fabric on the right-hand swing of the needle. Raise the presser foot, pivot the fabric slightly, and begin stitching to the next pivot point. Repeat as needed to round the entire outer curve.

TIP: To maintain evenness between your stitches, pivot more often on a gentle curve than a sharp one.

1. With a marking tool, mark a line extending from the upcoming edge of the appliqué into the center. On the line, measure from the point a distance equal to you stitch width; mark the location with a dot.

3. Raise the presser foot and pivot the fabric. Lower the presser foot and turn the handwheel until the right-hand swing of the needle is just about to go into the foundation fabric. Lift the presser foot and reposition the foundation fabric the tip of the needle is above the point where the needle thread is coming out of the appliqué. Lower the presser foot and begin stitching to the next edge.